Norlander (CBS)- How many teams should be in Division 1?

[shizzle787]

Candid Coaches: How many teams should be playing NCAA Division I basketball?

The sport grew to 363 teams this year, but as D-I awaits further transformation, what's the best number for college hoops?

www.cbssports.com

"This is a big issue and a touchy subject. No one wants to be demoted. If anything, I was surprised more coaches didn't vote to keep D-I the same size. That 53.7% is a good number, but consider the inverse: 46.3% of coaches we polled believe D-I basketball has too many teams. The coaching community is close to split on this issue."

IMO, I also believe the right number of teams is 275. It would allow the NCAA to go back to the 64-team format while actually adding a net of two or three at-larges bids as six or seven conferences would be no more. It would eliminate the schools that have jumped up for the NCAA tournament money but never done anything of note athletically in Division 1 (looking at you, Sacred Heart, Stonehill, and Merrimack). It would also increase the talent level across the D-1 landscape which would in turn elevate a lot of mid-major programs.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

What conferences get dropped ?
33 current​

20-25 revised
Current conferences​

Some historical good basketball programs from the deleted conferences could be added to the remaining conferences or conferences could merge .

• America East Conference
• American Athletic Conference — operates under the original 1979 charter of the Big East Conference, but does not claim the basketball history of the current Big East
• Atlantic Coast Conference
• Atlantic Sun Conference — branded as the ASUN Conference
• Atlantic 10 Conference
• Big East Conference — current charter established in 2013, but maintains the basketball history of the 1979–2013 Big East
• Big Sky Conference
• Big South Conference
• Big Ten Conference
• Big 12 Conference
• Big West Conference
• Colonial Athletic Association
• Conference USA
• Horizon League
• Ivy League
• Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
• Mid-American Conference
• Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
• Missouri Valley Conference
• Mountain West Conference
• NCAA Division I Independents (none in basketball since 2015)
• Northeast Conference
• Ohio Valley Conference
• Pac-12 Conference
• Patriot League
• Southeastern Conference
• Southern Conference
• Southland Conference
• Southwestern Athletic Conference
• Summit League
• Sun Belt Conference
• West Coast Conference
• Western Athletic Conference

 

[Huskyforlife]

More D1 schools means more opportunities for players and coaches. It’s not like the top half of D1 is threatened by the bottom half, if you’re losing recruits to Scared Heart, you suck at recruiting.

 

[shizzle787]

What conferences get dropped ?​

33 current​

20-25 revised​

Current conferences​

Some historical good basketball programs from the deleted conferences could be added to the remaining conferences or conferences could merge .

• America East Conference
• American Athletic Conference — operates under the original 1979 charter of the Big East Conference, but does not claim the basketball history of the current Big East
• Atlantic Coast Conference
• Atlantic Sun Conference — branded as the ASUN Conference
• Atlantic 10 Conference
• Big East Conference — current charter established in 2013, but maintains the basketball history of the 1979–2013 Big East
• Big Sky Conference
• Big South Conference
• Big Ten Conference
• Big 12 Conference
• Big West Conference
• Colonial Athletic Association
• Conference USA
• Horizon League
• Ivy League
• Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
• Mid-American Conference
• Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
• Missouri Valley Conference
• Mountain West Conference
• NCAA Division I Independents (none in basketball since 2015)
• Northeast Conference
• Ohio Valley Conference
• Pac-12 Conference
• Patriot League
• Southeastern Conference
• Southern Conference
• Southland Conference
• Southwestern Athletic Conference
• Summit League
• Sun Belt Conference
• West Coast Conference
• Western Athletic Conference

I think they may do like they did in the early 80s with football: if less than half your league meets the criteria, you go down or independent if you meet the criteria:

Historical performance being a major one
Basketball budget
Overall athletic budget
Ten-year statistical averages
Number of sports offered

Tier 1 (easily safe):
ACC
Big East
Big 10
Big 12
Pac-12
SEC

Tier 2 (safe):
A-10
MW
AAC
WCC
MVC

Tier 3 (should be fine):
Ivy
Southern
C-USA
Sun Belt
MAC
Patriot
CAA
MAAC
Big West

Tier 4 (sweating):
WAC
Horizon
Summit
Big Sky
America East
SWAC

Tier 5 (in big trouble):
A-Sun
Big South
MEAC
NEC
OVC
Southland
Chicago State

---

 

[shizzle787]

More D1 schools means more opportunities for players and coaches. It’s not like the top half of D1 is threatened by the bottom half, if you’re losing recruits to Scared Heart, you suck at recruiting.

By that logic then let's just add another 100 schools. Schools like Sacred Heart are only in D1 because they want a piece of the NCAA tournament money they get when another NEC schools makes the tourney. It can't be about notoriety as they've never made the tournament, and if you asked 100 people in America which division SHU was in most wouldn't know. It was a pure money grab to jump up.

 

[KembaKek]

At least SHU has a future. They just made a huge investment in their hockey arena and want to go all in on growing their AD. Step 1 is to of the NEC, though.

 

[shizzle787]

At least SHU has a future. They just made a huge investment in their hockey arena and want to go all in on growing their AD. Step 1 is to of the NEC, though.

The NCAA wouldn't have a problem with them playing Division 1 hockey while in Division 2 for the rest of their sports.

 

[KembaKek]

For sure, but as aforementioned, that NCAAT money speaks. They’re not gonna be the ones in the tournament as long as Latina is the coach, though.

 

[auror]

What conferences get dropped ?

Southland, SWAC, NEC, and MEAC are perennially the 4 worst conferences. SWAC and MEAC are mostly (all?) HBCU and unlikely to even be considered to be demoted. NEC and Southland first on the chopping block. MAAC (except Iona if Pitino is there), America East, Ohio Valley (minus a few teams), Big South (minus Winthrop), ASUN probably can go. Probably Horizon league next they've been bad post-Butler and added some terrible teams recently.

That's 70-80 teams, gets you to the 275 number someone else wanted.

 

[navery12]

I'm fine with them cutting down the number of D1 schools / conferences. But please don't make those bids at large bids. I don't need to see the 11th best Big Ten team getting into March Madness, keep those bids for mid and low major teams

 

[SubbaBub]

More D1 schools means more opportunities for players and coaches. It’s not like the top half of D1 is threatened by the bottom half, if you’re losing recruits to Scared Heart, you suck at recruiting.

This. There is no reason to cap them. There is a market for thousands of games and it has zero affect on the tournament. It's not FB where 6 programs have a legit shot most years by avoiding playing tough games.

Capping the number of auto bids is another matter. There are 10 conferences at least that have never been competitive.

 

[LBird33]

I don’t they need to do much with basketball. Tournament is well received as is . It’s football that needs fixing. Need to break the grip of the cartel